Room At The Inn
by Raine Ishida
Summary: After an embarrassing situation earlier, Zidane finds himself outside Dagger's room at the inn being invited in for a visit of an unknown nature. She seems to be teasing him, but he doesn't know long he will be able to control himself. Fluff.


Disclaimer: I wish I owned FFIX. But I don't.

OKAY. Prior to this, I just didn't write it…There's only one bathroom to their four bedrooms in this Inn. Freya's standing guard outside the bathroom, as Dagger's using the shower, and Dagger, being a little foolish, comes out in a towel after her shower, on her way back to her room. But she didn't know Zidane would be in the hall, talking with Freya. So…poor Zidane is grinding his teeth and trying NOT to look at the princess while she runs to her room in embarrassment, Freya shaking her head in amusement. Yep. That's where we find our heroes here. And now it's a couple of hours later.

**Room At The Inn**

By Raine Ishida

Her glance was shy, her fingers gripping the doorframe, tightening slightly for a moment as she looked up at him with a half-smile. "…Do you want to come in?"

_Red flag, Zidane, red flag! _Warning bells shot off in his mind. But…she was looking at him so…sweetly. Freya wasn't around… But on the other hand, he could get himself into a _lot_ of trouble if he said yes. A lot of trouble. Especially if Freya came back to continue her guard, and she would.

Should he?

"I promise, I'll be on my best behavior," Dagger said with a smile. Zidane choked out a laugh.

"It's not you I'm worried about, Dagger, trust me."

"I'll make sure you keep your intentions entirely honourable."

Zidane scratched the back of his head. "To be honest, my intentions have been less than honourable from the very beginning."

Dagger grinned. "I know. I'll keep an eye on you. Come in, just for a minute. I never get to speak with you alone."

She opened the door and let him walk past her. His tail was twitching violently, she noted with a small grin.

She closed the door behind her with a soft click, the hallway dark, lit only barely by a candle. Moving over to her bed, Dagger sat down on the edge and smiled, her hands folded on her lap.

Zidane shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking around the dimly lit room, at the walls, at the floor, at everything but her.

"Are you nervous?"

"You're in a nightgown, Dagger. I can't be expected to look at you and keep my thoughts clean."

"So earlier-"

"Yeah, the towel incident? _So uncool._ I wonder if you noticed I couldn't look at you?"

"You did. I caught you looking, Zidane. Don't think I didn't." Her lips were pressed together, but her eyes were merry. She wasn't angry.

"Can you blame me?!" he asked, his hands splayed on either side of him. He blew a breath of air upwards, disturbing his bangs.

"You _are _nervous," she concluded. His tail stopped twitching for a moment, then resumed a methodical twitch, while he chewed on his bottom lip.

"You would be nervous too," Zidane whispered. "It's taking everything within me…"

"To what?"

"Not to…rush over there. It's…I'm trying my hardest to control myself, and it's becoming physically painful." He looked up at her with saddened eyes. "I need to leave, Dagger. I'm sorry. I don't want to…dishonour you in any way."

Dagger smiled sadly, almost…regretfully. Really? Zidane was curious, but he didn't want to push it. He knew his limits, as well as his lack of self-control once he started something…and he couldn't count on himself to listen to her if she told him to stop. Besides. She hadn't even hinted that she wanted anything from him.

…But why had she invited him into her room while she was in her nightgown? And while Freya wasn't standing guard?

"Dagger, I…"

"I know. Thank you for being a gentleman, Zidane. I appreciate it." She rose, her nightgown flowing around her body, which looked so soft and inviting, Zidane clenched his jaw to stifle his groan. She stopped at the doorway. "I suppose it wasn't exactly a good idea to invite you here, was it…"

He stepped over to her and frowned slightly, studying her face as she turned toward him, her back against the door.

Zidane couldn't resist her anymore. He placed a hand on either side of her head, leaning on the door as he put his forehead against hers. She didn't flinch or try to get away. Instead, she continued to look up at him with her large, dark eyes, studying him silently.

"Zidane," she whispered after a few moments. His eyes had fallen closed, his pulse racing so hard she could see it in his neck.

"I can't…"

"Zidane?"

He pulled his head back and looked down at her. "I can't do it, Dagger. I can't…even be this close to you. It's taking all of me…to hold back."

"I know," she said softly, smiling. "Thank you."

"But…I want to." One hand left the door behind her and stroked her cheek with gentle fingers. "I want to kiss you so badly it's actually hurting me. So…I should leave. Before Freya comes back and we both get into trouble."

Dagger nodded, her soft smile widening. "You're right."

He opened the door and checked the dark hallway for any sign of Dagger's guard. Still vacant. Home free.

"Zidane?" Dagger asked as he stepped into the hallway.

"Yes?" he asked, his pulse slowing down, once he was in the safety of the hallway.

"…Maybe next time you don't have to hold back," she whispered, a light blush across her cheeks. "Goodnight."

Zidane couldn't even mutter the goodnight that was stuck at the back of his suddenly dry throat.

He waited until he reached his room before letting out the biggest frustrated groan he'd ever groaned in his entire life.

Vivi rolled over, stirred, and sat up. "Zidane? Are you alright?"

Zidane crashed onto his bed and mumbled. "It's nothing, Vivi…go back to sleep."

In her room, Dagger was smiling. In all her sixteen years, nothing that exciting had ever happened to her. Even including all the recent events, like her kidnapping, using her eidolons, adventuring with her new friends… Nothing could compare to this new kind of excitement.

She knew it would only get worse. She hoped he'd brave it to come back tomorrow night.

…


End file.
